The following is a summary of “Blood lactate in mild and moderate ARDS secondary to SARS COV 2,” published in the April 2023 issue of Emergency Medicine by Pagano, et al.

Elevated blood lactate levels are linked to poor outcomes in critical conditions, but hyperlactatemia is uncommon in patients with SARS-CoV-2. This study examined lactatemia trends in patients with mild/moderate SARS-CoV-2-ARDS and its impact on prognosis.

The blood lactate levels of 38 patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to the COVID Care Unit were analyzed. Of the 38 patients, 20 survived and were discharged, while 18 died. Despite severe hypoxia, all patients had normal (T0) lactate levels. Survivors showed a significant increase in lactate concentration one day before clinical improvement. However, there was no significant increase in lactate levels in non-survivors.

Patients who survived SARS-CoV-2 ARDS had a transient increase in lactate levels one day before clinical improvement.

Reference: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735675723000359